Lucasfilm is exploring plans for Star Wars Battlefront 3, and recent reports indicate Disney is weighing two studios to lead development. The rumor surfaced through the revived gaming magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly, where the publication’s Quarterman column revealed that Lucasfilm wants a partner for a new sequel. Swedish developer EA DICE is in the mix to continue the series, but Destiny creator Bungie has emerged as a surprise alternative candidate. Giant Bomb host Jeff Grubb shared the passage during Game Mess Mornings, noting that while active production hasn’t started yet, talks about who should build the game are already underway [1].
Quarterman Rumor in EGM Compendium
The report traces back to a print publication that hasn’t shipped a regular newsstand issue since the summer of 2014. The rumor appears in issue 265 of Electronic Gaming Monthly, produced as part of the EGM Compendium Kickstarter project. Backers pledged over $1.7 million in 2024 to fund the effort. The issue ships soon [1].
That crowdfunding campaign set a $250,000 stretch goal to print an extra issue with original staff, and creators confirmed the book includes fresh reviews and a new Quarterman column. The name was a pen name used by news editors to share industry whispers without naming specific corporate sources. Jeff Grubb read the passage on Giant Bomb, quoting the magazine directly: “The suits at Lucasfilm have been aggressively deploying probe droids looking for a development partner to take on the task of creating a follow-up. So far, no one has fully stepped up, but yours truly is hearing two major game studios are circling the project like a couple of snow speeders, led by the completely unsurprising EA DICE” [1].
The column added that if DICE doesn’t get the contract, the work could go to Bungie. Wccftech writer Alessio Palumbo rated the leak at 75% probable under the site’s verification scale. That score signals plausible evidence from working professionals, though Palumbo warned readers that early talks can shift before deals close [4].
Two Studios Circling Star Wars Battlefront 3
Lucasfilm is looking for a development partner because EA’s exclusive Star Wars contract ended in 2023. Disney wants another big multiplayer shooter, but neither studio has signed a formal contract. Talks are early. Both teams bring different backgrounds in sci-fi combat. This gives Lucasfilm two distinct paths forward [3].
Jeff Grubb shared personal doubts about whether Bungie will actually build Star Wars Battlefront 3, even while praising its shooting mechanics. He said that while Bungie’s gunplay feels fantastic, broader trends in the gaming business push publishers toward safer choices. Five years ago, executive wisdom suggested renting established external brands was cheaper than creating original universes, but that belief changed quickly once licensing fees ate into publisher margins. Because of that cost pressure, Grubb argued that corporate heads prefer a familiar partner like EA DICE over hiring Bungie [4].
The EGM report makes clear that neither team has locked down the assignment yet. As Grubb pointed out, Disney hasn’t greenlit full code production. “It doesn’t sound like the game is in the works yet, but it does sound like there are conversations at the very least about who should take it on,” Grubb said [1].
Bungie Workload and Sony Ownership
Bungie is an unusual contender because the developer belongs to Sony, meaning a PlayStation first-party team would be producing a major multiplatform Star Wars release [4]. Sony would collect a hefty licensing fee, but managing rights across competing console stores adds legal complexity. Bungie’s calendar remains tight [3].
Bungie leadership recently admitted that it lost player trust and stalled its own creative goals, prompting a plan focused on restoring vaulted Destiny 2 content while updating Marathon. The current roadmap for Marathon runs through March, and early player numbers haven’t set the gaming world on fire. Longtime fans worry that taking on another licensed franchise would pull staff away from a potential Destiny 3. Microsoft already moved future Halo development outside its original creators to teams like Activision handling the next Halo game, so Bungie can’t afford another misstep with its core community [5].
Still, Bungie already holds direct experience with the Star Wars universe. Last December, the team released the official Renegades expansion for Destiny 2. It brought Star Wars-themed weapons and armor in partnership with Lucasfilm. That release showed that Bungie can translate Lucasfilm’s visual style into sharp first-person gunplay. Whether Bungie has the staff bandwidth to build a standalone shooter remains an open question [1].
Why EA DICE Remains in Contention
EA DICE stands as the familiar choice because the Stockholm team developed both previous releases in the rebooted series. DICE launched Star Wars Battlefront in 2015 for PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Xbox One, focusing on George Lucas’s original film trilogy. In 2017, the team shipped Star Wars Battlefront 2. That sequel included Clone Wars battlegrounds and sequel characters [1].
Working with DICE carries old baggage that Disney hasn’t forgotten. When Star Wars Battlefront 2 arrived in 2017, its progression tied into Star Cards and randomized loot boxes, sparking global player backlash and regulatory inquiries across several European governments. The controversy became an embarrassing headache for Disney, which reportedly left executives with a bad taste from long-term EA dealings. DICE worked hard to fix the mess, removing paid loot boxes, overhauling character leveling, and adding free maps until player sentiment turned strongly positive. GamingBolt writer Ravi Sinha said that some staffers at DICE are already excited about making another entry [2].
Player Resurgence Keeps Star Wars Battlefront 3 Relevant
Community demand for Star Wars Battlefront 3 stays strong because the 2017 game staged a surprising recovery on PC. Despite receiving no fresh content updates in years, Star Wars Battlefront 2 saw Steam player counts jump from 1,000 to 1,500 in April 2025 before setting an all-time record of 35,892 concurrent players in June 2025 during a $4 sale [4].
Player numbers spiked again in May 2026, when average Steam players doubled past 3,300 and peaked above 9,000. Outside Steam, the community-created Kyber launcher registered over 122,000 concurrent players across platforms during that same week. That staying power shows why fans continue asking what happened to Battlefront 3 and why a sequel hasn’t arrived. Years ago, LucasArts and Pandemic Studios made the original two Battlefront games before Free Radical Design took over Battlefront 3. That third game was canceled before release, leaving leaked and incomplete code, including a Nintendo Wii version, to circulate online for years [1].
Star Wars games are currently enjoying a strong streak with titles like Star Wars Zero Company and Star Wars: Galactic Racer, while Respawn builds a third Star Wars Jedi title. That momentum gives Disney a good opening to bring back large-scale fleet and infantry battles. Destructoid reporter Scott Duwe said that whether the game goes to DICE or Bungie, the search for the next developer is underway [3].
- ONLINE NEWS McWhertor, M. (2026, October 19). Star Wars Battlefront 3: Bungie Rumored as New Developer. Polygon. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Sinha, R. (2026, October 20). Star Wars Battlefront 3 Could End Up Developed by Bungie – Rumor. GamingBolt. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Duwe, S. (2026, October 19). Bungie is still busy with Marathon and Destiny, but Star Wars could reportedly be next. Destructoid. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Palumbo, A. (2026, October 19). Star Wars Battlefront 3 Could Land at Bungie, as Lucasfilm Reportedly Weighs the Halo and Destiny Studio Against EA DICE. Wccftech. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Push Square. (2026, October 19). Could Sony’s Bungie Build the Next Star Wars Battlefront Game? Push Square. [Article Link]
